Coast Guard Personnel are Top Award Winners for Operation Dry Water

Washington, DC – For the first time, a Coast Guard law enforcement officer and a Coast Guard unit were recognized as top within their field at the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) annual conference, which was held in Indianapolis, Indiana. Since Operation Dry Water (ODW) involves over 7,400 law enforcement officers and 570 agencies, this recognition is an outstanding accomplishment.

Operation Dry Water  is an annual weekend-long operation that occurs immediately before or after the 4th of July holiday (this year’s operation was 29 Jun – 1 Jul 2018), providing heightened awareness and enforcement of Boating Under the Influence (BUI), which is the leading contributing factor in recreational boating deaths and injuries.

Among all participating federal, state, and local agencies, this year’s ODW made contact with over 80,000 recreational vessels and 200,000 boaters, and it resulted in 7,305 citations and 494 BUI arrests.

For the first time, a Coast Guard law enforcement officer and a Coast Guard unit were recognized as top within their field at the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) annual conference, which was held in Indianapolis, Indiana. Since ODW involves over 7,400 law enforcement officers and 570 agencies, this recognition is an outstanding accomplishment.

The 2018 ODW Officer of the Year recipient was BM3 James Bradberry of Coast Guard Station Michigan City, Indiana. BM3 Bradberry was recognized by NASBLA for making five BUI cases himself!

The ODW Top Agency (Medium Agency Category) recipient was Coast Guard Station Marblehead, Ohio. Station Marblehead contacted 119 boats and issued 43 citations, including six BUI cases (4 alcohol and 2 drug cases).

There were 157 participating Coast Guard units in ODW 2018 with the following recognized as outstanding performers:

a. Outstanding Marine Safety Unit: MSU Paducah (D8) contacted 65 vessels, issued 15 citations, and made three BUI cases, including a high BAC of 0.15, almost twice the legal limit.

b. Outstanding Sector: Sector Houston-Galveston (D8) contacted 99 vessels, issued 28 citations, and made three BUI cases. Honorable mention: Sector North Carolina (D5) (1 BUI, 290 vessels contacted)

c. Outstanding Station: With 130 stations participating, outstanding performers were identified by District:

  • D1: 24 D1 stations participated (participation rate: 77%).
    Outstanding D1 Station: Station Boston made 3 BUI cases, contacted 150 vessels, and had a high BAC of 0.18. Honorable mention: Station New London (3 BUIs, 50 vessels contacted, high BAC of 0.26), Station Portsmouth Harbor (2 BUIs, 105 vessels contacted), and Station Brandt Point (2 BUIs, 25 vessels contacted, high BAC of 0.16).
  • D5: 18 D5 stations participated (64%).
    Outstanding D5 Station: Station Curtis Bay made 4 BUI cases, contacted 95 vessels, and had a high BAC of 0.237. Honorable Mention: Station Hoboken (1 BUI, 45 vessels contacted), Station Oak Island (1 BUI, 122 vessels contacted), Station Ocean City (1 BUI, 52 vessels contacted, high BAC of 0.22).
  • D7: 18 D7 stations participated (90%).
    Outstanding D7 Station: Station Fort Meyers made 1 BUI case and contacted 12 vessels. Honorable Mention: Station Lake Worth Inlet (1 BUI, 12 vessels contacted).
  • D8: 11 D8 stations participated (64%).
    Outstanding D8 Station: Station Galveston made 2 BUI cases and contacted 65 vessels. Honorable Mention: Station Freeport (1 BUI, 14 vessels contacted, high BAC of 0.18), Station Destin (1 BUI, 14 vessels contacted).
  • D9: 32 D9 stations participated (76%).
    Outstanding D9 Station: Station Calumet Harbor made 2 BUI cases, contacted 56 vessels, and had a high BAC of 0.233. Honorable Mention: Station St. Clair Shores (2 BUIs, 36 vessels contacted, high BAC of 0.202), Station Grand Haven (1 BUI, 94 vessels contacted) (Stations Michigan City and Marblehead were recognized by NASBLA).
  • D11: 11 D11 stations participated (84%) (Weather in D11 limited boating activity during ODW 2018.)
    Outstanding D11 Station: Station Bodega Bay contacted 27 vessels.
  • D13: 11 D13 stations participated (64%).
    Outstanding D13 Station: Station Portland contacted 25 vessels. Honorable Mention: Station Tillamook (24 vessels contacted).
  • D14: 3 D14 stations participated (75%).
    Outstanding D14 Station: Station Apra Harbor contacted 12 vessels.
  • D17: 2 D17 stations participated (66%).
    Outstanding D17 Station: Station Juneau contacted 15 vessels. Honorable Mention: Station Ketchikan (12 vessels contacted).

d. Outstanding Cutter: USCGC HALIBUT made 1 BUI case and contacted 28 vessels. Honorable Mention: USCGC SITKINAK (45 vessels contacted).


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